Staying With The Negative: Why Not Eliminate The 'Tilt'

A couple weeks ago in this space, an attack was made on some of the new rules in scholastic wrestling while another was supported.

The criticism was based upon a personal preference for the "old fashioned," or American style of amateur wrestling over international, or freestyle rules.

Having begun the season on a critical note, why not stay in that spirit and get all of the negative thoughts out of our system early? The subject of this week's diatribe, then, shall be the cheapest two (sometimes three) points in wrestling: the (ugh!) "tilt."

In the past several years, piling up points by simply tilting an opponent's shoulders beyond 45 degrees to the mat has become much the rage. It is usually accomplished by the wrestler in the top position reaching under the defender's body, trapping his far arm and using his own legs to "elevate" the man over. Or by clamping on a tight waist, rolling backward and pulling the defender along.

As often as not, the wrestler simply watches the referee count and then rolls his man right back onto his stomach. When the nearfall points are awarded, he goes to work trying to repeat the process. This strategy has become even more popular this season with the advent of the "technical fall," whereby a wrestler can earn the same number of team points (six) by running up a 15-point lead as he could by actually pinning his man.

In general, I am in favor of the technical fall, although I'm not convinced it should equate exactly with an actual pin. (Perhaps the value of a pin should be upped to eight points?) At any rate, I don't like the added emphasis it has given to the "tilt."

Why?

Simply this: Traditionally, the main objective in any kind of wrestling (yes, even Hulkamania) has been to work toward a pin. The pin is the sport's ultimate achievement. I have yet to see a wrestler pinned off a simple tilt maneuver. Frankly, pinning isn't even the intent. The intent is to merely pile up points.

In my mind, the tilt is, at best, a relatively easy way to pile up "cheapies." At worst, in view of the overriding rule that the offensive wrestler must always work toward a pin, it's a blatant stall maneuver.

In my opinion, most referees don't care for it either. But, naturally, under the rules currently in effect, they have no alternative other to get down on their knees and start counting. The only solution (assuming you agree that a problem exists), then, is to change the rules.

How? Two ways.

First, either increase the scoring value for a fall or devalue other outcomes such as draws, decisions, major and superior decisions and technical falls.

That would be easy. Why, for example, should a draw count two points for each team? Why not simply zero points? Hey, the end result is the same!

Then, you could drop the regular decision to two points and make it three for a major, four for a superior and five for the tech fall. All of which would simply maintain the incentive to try and pin your man.

Secondly, the rules regarding the scoring of points via the nearfall should be tightened. A "nearfall" should be exactly what the name implies: that somebody came dadgummed close to getting decked. A tilt means nothing of the sort. It simply means that a man's shoulders were "exposed" to the mat as opposed to the ceiling. Heck, in most cases, one shoulder often remains approximately the same distance from the mat as from the ceiling.

To eliminate the "cheapies," the rules should be revised to require that a bona fide pinning combination accompany the exposure before nearfall points are awarded.

One guy who agrees with me on this, incidentally, is former Northampton coach Gordie Bartholomew. To be more accurate, he suggested it to me. And, lest anyone suggest Gordie's got a vested interest, let me point out that his son Mike, a star 132-pounder for Don Rohn's current Konkrete Kids, utilizes the tilt about as adeptly as anyone.

Oh, well. Enough said, already.

Now let's glance briefly at what has been revealed locally so far in this young season.

In the East Penn Conference, Northampton has underscored its preseason reputation as a well-balanced if not superstar-laden club by winning the Christmas City Tournament without a single individual champion and then bagging the first "big" dual meet matchup of the season, 33-20 over Easton Saturday.

As expected, though, the Red Rovers are still strong, as is Rick Thompson's East of the Border Gang. And Allen has unveiled a four-man "Muderers' Row" in the upper weights (Scott Hovan, Jeff Roth, Jay Weiss and Jim Lipovsky) to stamp itself as a solid contender.

But, very quietly, Liberty - almost unmentioned in the preseason as a contender - has emerged as a genuine darkhorse.